The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-12-16
HARTFORD COUNTY's REVOLUTION
AIRY RECORD.
Mostly From Original Documents.
BY GEO. W. ARCHER.

BY GEO. W. ARCHER.
XIX.
The document which follows wants both date
and signature. 1t no doubt emanated from the
committee. probably in Sept, 49, soon after the
passage of resolution by Congress that eighty
eight battaons be raised for the regular army
Maryands quota being eight battalions.
"IO the Honorable tie COHTeHtiOa Of he PrOgiyce
Of Maryland: We do hereby certify that Messrs,
Daniel Scott, James Steel and benjamin Scott, of
this county, have sgnhed to us their ardent
desire to serve their country in this time OF i'm
mediate danger. in the capacity of Captain, and
first and second Lieutenants in company of
Regulars In the continental service, TO be raised
III this province, and have requested this COM
mittee TO transmit to your Honors their opinion
of their abilities for those employments.
I'VE are of opinion that If your Honors confer
the above commissions on them they will dis
charge the trust r9posed in them with fidelity,
courage and honor"
take 1t that James Steele was the man who
at the capture of Havre de Grace, in 1913, SO
bravely fired on and wounded the British officer,
who had summoned him to surrender. lie was
at the time OF this application ensign much the
same as Sd Lieutenant) in Captain James Nc
Comas S company Of militia IL IL also likely that
ne was the same james steele who for many
years after the revolution was Justice of the
Peace for Hartford county.
The following is given as specimen of the social
dhculties with which the committee had 10 deal
IL shows how extensive and varied their jurisdic-
ton must have been:
GENTLEMEN: Some time in the year IVA.
gave everything had in the world to my son-iu-
law, lebedoe Il, by deed OF gift, in considera-
ton of which ne bound himself in u bond OF two
hundred pounds penalty for to maintain his
mother, tiII-law,l and me during our natural lives
and also TO pay all my just debts. have beg
ged. prayed and threatened him with the com
mittee. but nothing can do will prevail on hun
to go and settle with my creditors; and as am
far advanced in years aud find myself in de-
Ginning state and DESTROYS of having my creditors
paid. and have put 1t out of my power TO pay
them, do therefore pray your advice, and oblige,
Your humble Servant.
Whether or not the Honorable Committee ever
took in hand the delinquent father of Zebedee's
children" does not appear.
The only paper among these archives in which
application from citizen of another county, is
made TO the committee for relief, is the follow
ing, addressed to a member of the committee:
SIR: am sorry to trouble gentleman with
whom haye no personal acquaintance, with my
business. /, sometime last December, bought Of
David HI hampton, overseer of Jacob Jarls [Ciiles
deceased, thirty bushels of corn a3-1 TO be de-
paid him 44-lO "A shillings ten pence when he
acknowledged in part-the corn to be delivered
on the NV week following The river froze, and
now applied, and he refuses to deliver the corn
| beg the favor of your assistance. l cannot
under marching orders next Wednesday, l beg
the great favor of your method of proceeding in
your county. Pardon my mode Of application
Your humble serv't,
.o. c, sIEPnEN PORTER.
WIN. WEBB Esq.
Up. s. The witness to the above facts are Mr..
Peter Wilson. Samuel Carr and Joseph Men ely"
The above communication claims special at
tentton, for the fact that the writer in 1884 he
being then lawyer of some note, was tried in
Cecil for homicide-the trial being one of the
most celebrated in the annals of that county, and
occupying four pages In Johnston's History. 1t
would seem from the evidence there given that
Thomas Dunn, the victim, was a brutal bully Of
powerful build, who tcrroriZed the entire Octo-
rara region that he sought Porter out for the ex-
press purpose OF provoking fight, maligned his
fn and emit IL, hto H.
own house. got an old bayon (probably the one
he had used in the patriot armyJ and while re-
turning TO the spot met Dunn and ran him
through. killing him instantly, while attempting
to crush his (Porters) skull with a stone.
Porter was thrown into the rckety little Jail at
Charlestown, and his property, which was con-
siderable, was nventoried and appraised with a
view to confiscation in case of his conviction
His trilnds provided with a fleet horse
the jaer drunk, feigned themselves in the same
condition, got up sham fight, and finally kick
ed Porter out-he having been duly notified that
Alleghanies in the frontier settlements, having
tarred for a moment only at his home on the
Octorara TO bid his wife good bye rs he passed.
He was, however, brought back a few months
afterwards under very peculiar circumstances
tried.
IL is not easy to see why an estmable man and
patriotic citizen should be so bounded down for
merely Kidding the community of dangerous
rufiian while defending his own life and the honor
of his family. To be sure he was finally acqut-
ted and discharged, though not until the ruilian's
friends had insuited and tried To "bulldoze" the
court. But who would suppose that such vile
wretch would have any friends whatever?
The document of the very latest date among
these papers is the following:
"IOMe council Of Satety SIRS: Our committee
( >r taking the number of the inhabitants OF the
county, and some guns contracted for aud lately
delivered u.s. and charges of expenses, has occa-
sion OF some money; You'll please furnish Mr..
Benjamin Bradford Norris with one hundred and
nifty pounds for which sum we will render
yr. very humble serv'ts,
HARTFORD COUNTY COMMITTEE.
10 Feb, lTT7.
The money called for was received II Feb.
The Legislature elected under the now State
Government, framed by the convention chosen
entered upon ITS duties. And gradually, as the
acts and measures adopted by that body, came
INTO mt, operation the powers Of the County Com
ly cease until some weeks later. On the 81 April
we find that the committee of observation APP
pointed "a committee 10 settle its accounts with
the Board of Claims, aud all other accounts re-
latinH to this committee. From this fact II may
be safely inferred that it was very near its end,
If not IN drttcUtO mOlttS.
THE END.
ERRATA.-The following was unintentionally
omitted from No. XVII:
In COWncH Of Sdtety, annapolis, JUly 0, 1875.
. gents: The public service requires that all
the arms purchased by you, or manufactured In
Hartford under your direction be transmitted to
Balrmoi Town, to Gerard Hopkins, the com
a receipt and transmit the number, quality and
value of the same.
We desire you will also furnish us with an ac-
count of the disposition of the 200 we hereto
fore sent you. Yr. humble Servt.
by order.
DAN'L OF ST. THos. JENIFER."
Gerard Hopkins married a daughter of Henry
Wilson, the "Flghting Quaker"
N. b. Read -four SeygedntS after the three lieu
in the third from the last paragraph Of
No. XVII.
N. B. In No. XVIII for "Dr. Josas Carroll
Hail. read DIR. Josias Cd,UH Hall; and for Lord
read Lord DuRmOIe.